Spring Break, Spring Training, Spring Championships

by Bradey King

It’s no surprise that the Triple Crown Arizona Spring Championships is the ideal spring break destination for a young baseball player. The opportunity to compete in a high caliber tournament and also watch their MLB idols at Spring Training is unlike any other experience. The sunny and 75-degree weather is the cherry on top. 
 
Session 2 of the Spring Championships opened up Thursday morning and is off and running with more than 100 teams from states all across the country. Day 1 consisted of two “practice” games for each team. Coaches seemed to utilize their entire roster, giving everyone the chance to play and get comfortable at the plate and on the mound before tournament play begins Friday.
 
Head coach Ray Atkinson and his NW Bandits 13’s team from Seattle, Washington said that this is a can’t-miss event. This weekend marks the sixth time they’ve made the trip to Arizona.
 
“This is our version of Spring Training. It starts our season off right. We get great weather and a lot of good games, so we come every year,” said Atkinson.
 
Most teams wrapped up their games around noon today with plans of heading to the Spring Training games tonight. A very excited NW Bandits player, Micah Coleman, is eager to cheer on the Diamondbacks.
 
“The best part of the tournament so far is probably the sun! We’re gonna go to the Spring Training games, too. My favorite player on the Diamondbacks is Jake Lamb,” said Coleman.
 
While the weather in California is pretty comparable to Arizona this time of year, the DBA Crushers – Silver from Danville, California come to this event to see where they stack up against the solid competition it offers.
 
“I liked today’s format,” said Crushers coach Devin Rocha, who agreed the tournament was a good fit for his squad on multiple levels. “I was able to throw every single one of my pitchers.”
 
Pool play begins Friday morning in all age groups, with the event wrapping up on Championship Day later on Sunday.